Satellite Study Places Mumbai and Secunderabad Landfills in Global Methane Top 25

The recent satellite based global study has revealed that the landfill sites in the Secunderabad and Mumbai are among the top 25 methane emitting waste sites in the world in the year 2025. This findings have highlighted the growing environmental concerns around the India’s waste management systems and their contribution to the climate change. This analysis is based on the thousands of methane plume observations and it also underscores the urgent need for targeted climate action and to improve the landfill management.

What the Study Found: Key Highlights

The study have analysed the 2,994 methane plumes from 707 waste sites globally and identifying the major pollution hotspots.

• India has 2 landfill sites among the top 25 emitters worldwide,
• Also the countries like Chile and Brazil had the highest number landfill sites (3 each).
• India also stands alongside with the Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the ranking.

The research was conducted by using satellite data from the Carbon Mapper and it was analyzed by the University of California in the Los Angeles through its Stop Methane Project.

Why Methane Emissions from Landfills Are Dangerous

Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gas which is driving the global warming.

• It is about the 86 times more potent than the carbon dioxide harm over 20 years.
• It remains in to the atmosphere for about 12 years but it has a stronger short-term impact which look more dangerous.
• Also methane is the responsible for nearly 30% of global temperature rise after the Industrial Revolution.

According to the International Energy Agency the methane concentrations today are the 2.5 times higher than pre-industrial levels.

Landfills produce the methane when the organic waste like food, paper and the garden materials which decomposes without oxygen and making them major emission sources if they are unmanaged.

Emission Scale: How Severe Is the Problem?

The study have found that the top landfill sites emit between 3.6 to 7.5 tonnes of the methane per hour which is the concerning figure.

To understand the scale.

• Emitting 5 tonnes/hour is equal to the pollution from 1 million SUVs.
• It is also comparable to emissions from a 500 MW coal power plant.

Earlier the Ghazipur landfill was also identified as the methane super-emitter as the single event releasing over the 400 tonnes/hour in 2022.

Who Is Linked to These Landfill Sites?

The report have linked the identified Indian sites to the those potentially responsible operators who are the Ramky Enviro Engineers (Secunderabad region) and the Antony Waste Handling Cell Ltd (Mumbai).

These associations are based on the publicly available data and through the official responses are still awaited.

How Scientists Identified Methane Hotspots

The researchers have used the advanced satellite technology to track the methane plumes in real time.

The process have involved the mapping emission plumes via satellites. Also matching the locations with known landfill sites and trying to identifying operators through government and public records.

This method have allows the highly accurate detection of pollution sources and making the accountability more transparent.

Question

Consider the following statements:

1. Methane has a higher heat-trapping capacity than carbon dioxide over 20 years.
2. India has the highest number of methane-emitting landfill sites globally.
3. Satellite technology is used to identify methane emission plumes.

Which of the statements are correct?
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 2 only
D. 1, 2 and 3